Well Christmas is over, New Year almost upon us.  Very little decent painting in this last week, just a bit of messing about.  I did manage to get two days out with my sketch book but it was incredibly windy and wet, so the results were a bit off!

Made my New Year's painting resultuions, so let's see if I stick to them.

Happy New Year  to anyone who reads this......

 After much messing about with images and folders I think I might have got resizing sorted.  Let's hope so.

Monday's outdoor painting was at Freshwater Bay.  Wind moderate but as the tide came in, it really felt quite cold.

Hey, it worked.  Got the image in.  I touched up the surf with a bit of gouache.

Also did a couple of mess about sketches

watercolour

same idea but in gouache.

I finished off the oil pastel I was working on.  Some bits ok some not!

Had lunch on Tuesday with my swimming chums.  Don't think they are going to continue, but I am, because I like a lane to myself.

Lunch on Wednesday at the Priory after painting.  That was fun too, but I really shouldn't have eaten that chocolate cake.  But at least I went swimming on Thursday to burn some of it off.

The boys winter coats finally arrived, but  it was a bit of a squeeze getting Henry's big belly into it.  He is now on a diet! I've also increased his  (and mine) walking distance.

Couple of bits of really good news.  Perry won a £50 voucher to spend at the chandlers.  That was in the draw at the Marina.  I won a bottle of wine at the art club last Tuesday and to top everything, I sold a painting which was on display at Madvik, East Cowes.  So ending on a positive note.

If anyone besides Perry reads this, then have a really good Christmas and bear in mind 2024 is going to be a majical and fantastic year.

 Having a problem resizing images. Seemed to work ok last time.  Not sure what I'm doing wrong or different. Mmmm.

Weather still very mixed.  Lots of rain, very dull and overcast.

Haven't really done much painting, but have done a bit more drawing.  Still not enough.

Ryde sea front.  It rained but got an hour.

 

Lifeboat pub.  Sunny but a bit chilly.  But at least it was outside.  

Tomorrow is Freshwater, so hopefully the weather will be bearable.

Not a lot has happened to have been bumbling through the week.  Still not much progress in my swimming attempts.

 Not the best week.  We went to Lincolnshire for Ann's funeral. Frightful weather, bitterly cold.  Stayed in a chalet at Chapel St Leonards.  Because of the weather, it took a little while to get the place nice and snugly warm.  It was fine in the end.

Just managed to lose the photos, so here we go again.

Went to NorthSea observatory.  Very impressive.  Henry managed to try and eat most of the beach and in the afternoon threw up!  Very bleak place,although I should imagine in the summer it's packed.  Saw three enormous wind farms at a distance.

Managed to do a watercolour sketch on very rough rag paper.  Bit of fun.

Then tried having a go with gouache.  Still working on that!

Also did a couple of messing about sketches.  Didn't manage to get any swimming in either. Hopefully next week will be a bit better.

 Not a lot this week. Outdoor painting was at the Donkey Sanctuary, but my effort was a total disaster!

Had a short time painting at the Priory because I had to get back to see that the dogs were ok.  They were fine, but very pleased to see me.  

Still playing with gouache.  Having trouble with getting them dark enough for contrast, so have ordered some dark paints.

Weather has taken a turn and it's really cold at the moment.

We're off to Lincolnshire tomorrow for a few days.  Ann's funeral is Tuesday.  Not really an event to look forward to.

 Awful weather again this week, but did manage to get out and paint at Parkhurst Forest a couple of times.  Pretty wet underfoot but at least the sun was shining.

Ink sketch

watercolour sketch

watercolour sketch

watercolour sketch
Still messing about with gouache.  Quite a different medium.

Also have continued with oil pastel on a Wednesday.

Looks like the weather will be turning a bit colder soon, but until then more rain.

 We have acquired another dog! Perry's Aunt Ann died suddenly and we have taken in her little dog called Muffin.  Another Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

Muffin on the left, Henry on the right. He is 10 years old in a few days time.  Henry will be 3 just 5 days after that.

Weather has been absolutely frightful.  Very difficult to paint outside, although did manage to get to the Folly on Monday for our group painting.

There were little bursts of sun, but generally dry but dull.  Should be a challenge this Monday as rain is forcast and we are supposed to paint in Parkhurst Forest!

I've continued messing with gouache although with an incredibly limited pallet and seeing if I can do similar subjects with watercolour in my new sketch book which has rag paper.

This one is just watercolour on the rag paper. Will be impossible to use this paper outside as it just sucks up water and with the weather as it is, it would be a total disaster.

Comparison of gouache and watercolour.  With such an extreemly limited gouache pallet it is very difficult to get a range of colours - yes I know I can mix them, but the colours I've got are very intense.

Will carry on trying.